Francis j



P. J. FRENCH. CLOTHES CLAMP.

(No Model.)

No. 581,152. PQten-tedApLZO, 1897.

lg egiov,

UNITED STATES FFlCE.

ATENT FRANCIS J. FRENCH, OF MILES GROVE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO JACOBSTADLER, OF SAME PLACE.

CLOTH ES-CLAM P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 581,152, dated April20, 1897.

Application filed December 31, 1895. Serial No. 573,943. (No model) Toall whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANCIS J FRENCH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Miles Grove, in the county of Erie and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Clothes-Clamp, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in clothes-clamps; and theobject is to provide in connection with a flexible clothes line or ropea simple, inexpensive, and efficient clothes-fastener which is shaped insuch manner as to automatically grip the clothes-line for preventing thelongitudinal movement of the fastening device and which maybe readilymoved by hand to any desired point on the line, the said device beingalso constructed in such manner as to materially increase its utilityand adapt the same to support at one and the same time several articlesof clothing.

With the above object in view the invention consists in certain novelfeatures and details of construction and arrangement of parts, ashereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings, and finallyembodied in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of theimproved clothesfastening device. Fig. 2 illustrates the application anduse of the invention.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in bothfigures of the drawings.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates the improvedclothes-holding device, which is intended to take the place of theordinary wooden clothes-pin in common use.

The improved device is composed, preferably, of a single section orblank of springwire which has been galvanized so as 'to adapt the sameto all kinds of weather and to prevent the same from rusting and injuring the clothes held thereby.

The device is-formed as follows: The blank is bent at its centralportion or recurved upon itself to form a central spring-loop 2, whichnormally depends from the clothes-line. The terminals of the blank arenow bent reversely over and extended in opposite directions downwardlyand divergently, and after being extended, preferably below the plane ofthe lower end of the central loop 2, the terminals of the blank areagain recurved upon themselves to form opposing springloops 3, whichdiverge downwardly. The

terminals of the blank are now made upwardly divergent, as indicated at4, then bent as at 5, and extended in substantially horizontal relationinward toward each other ashortdistance, where they are reversely bent,as at 6, and continued upwardly and caused to diverge, the extremitiesof the terminals being formed with one or more coils '7, which have anapproximately horizontal disposition, or which, in other words, are sodeflected that they will bend or crimp the flexible clothesline wherethe latter passes through them. A spiral tension-spring 8 is introducedbetween the terminals of the fastening device above described and hasits extremities looped around such terminals at the points Where thebends 6 occur, the said spring serving by its tension to insure theproper degree of pressure between the parallel portions of the divergingand intermediate loops 2 and 3. The bends 6 or offsets are also adaptedto receive and form finger-holds for the thumb and forefinger of theattendant, whereby the latter is enabled to press the coiled terminalsof the device together for the purpose of relieving their grip upon theclothes-line, (shown at 9,) after which the clothes-fastening device maybe moved freely longitudinally of the line. Upon releasing the springterminals of the device the looped or coiled extremities thereof willspring apart and automatically engage and grip the clothes-line.

10 designates a rope grip which is also formed, preferably, ofgalvanized spring-wire, the same being bent at approximately a centralpoint and reourved upon itself to form a spring-loop 11 and provided ateach extremity with a coil or eye 12. The clothes-line is threadedthrough one of said coils or eyes and tied therein, as shown, the end ofthe line being extended sufliciently beyond the said gripping device toenable the same to be passed through a ring or around a fence-post orother convenient point, and after the rope has been so engaged with thepost or ring or.

other object the end of the rope is inserted and wedged into thespring-loop 11 and automatically retained therein.

At the opposite end of the line is what may be called a double rope-grip13, which is similar to the one at the other end of the line, exceptthat it is doubly recurved at its central portion to form tworeversely-disposed springloops 1i. The end of the rope is passed througha ring attached to the post or around the post itself or otherconvenient object and drawn taut, after which the rope at one side ofthe post is engaged in one of the loops 14, and the end of the rope orthat portion at the opposite side of the post is passed through theremaining loop, thus preventing any possibility of the slipping of therope and its becoming loosened from its point of attachment.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that a very simple andefficient clothesline is provided in which the elothes-retain ingdevices are constantly engaged with the line and incapable of beingaccidentally disconnected therefrom and lost. The clothesholding devicebeing galvanized prevents all liability to rust and by reason of thethree spring-loops 2 and 3, formed therein, is adapted to take the placeof three ordinary clothespins, the divergent outside loops being usedfor holding larger articles of clothing which have to be stretched, suchas sheets, towels, &e., and the central loop being adapted forsmallerarticles, such as hand kerehiefs, socks, napkins, (be. Thefarther down into the loops the articles or the corners thereof arejammed the tighter such articles are held, so that no ordinary wind canblow the same out of engagement with the fasteners, and the fastenerscannot work loose and become dislodged from the line. Vhile thefasteners cannot of themselves slip lengthwise of the line, bymanipulating the same with the hand, as above described, they may bereadily moved to any desired point on the line for properly stretchingthe clothes. Upon releasing a fastener it grips the rope where releasedand remains stationary. lVhen not required for use, the clothes-line canbe easily taken down, folded up, and put away in a dry place, and thefasteners, being connected to and strung upon the rope, are always onhand when wanted.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any ofthe advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. Aclothes-clamp comprising a pair of spring-arms forming a clasping-ioopfor the clothing, said arms being provided with terminal eyes disposedobliquely to their respective arms, and a coiled spring interposedbetween said arms with its terminals embraein g said arms, substantiallyas and for the purpose described.

2. A combined clothes and line clamp comprising central and sidediverging claspingloops to receive and hold the clothes, and a pair ofspring-arms having their upper portions diverging, thence deflectedinwardly, forming finger-holds, and again bent outwardlyon diverginglines and terminatingin eyes which receive and crimp the line,substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANCIS J. FRENCH.- lVitnesses:

CALVIN J. HINDS, F. X. LoiLuER.

